Like John Coltrane, James L. Dean got some of his first experience

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’RoundJerseyMorris JazzThe Bickford Theater at the Morris MuseumMorristown, NJ 07960Tickets/Information: 973-971-3706Longterm NJJS members will rememberDerek Smith from the Piano Spectaculars atWaterloo Village. Those annual events involvedthe top jazz players from around the country andthe globe, and Derek had a regular invitation.More recently, you’ve probably seen him as thepianist of choice for the Chicken Fat Ball, atPrinceton’s JazzFeast or at Bridgewater, either asa soloist or as part of an all-star band.If you caught him still earlier in his career, youmay have heard him with the Modern JazzQuartet shortly after arriving here from his nativeEngland. He also played extensively with BennyGoodman, and was in the Tonight Show bandwhen it was led by Doc Severinsen. Or you maysimply have encountered him on one of a coupledozen recordings that are still in print, mostnotably some recent ones from Arbors. He’ssurrounded by top players, and any one of themwill give you an enjoyable evening.But nothing compares to his live performances,especially as a soloist. You’re lulled at first as helays out the melody with care and precision.Then, in a blink of the eye, his fingers accelerateto gallop across the keys, seeming to involveeveryone of them as he builds speed. He keepsup the torrid pace for several choruses and, justas your eye is learning to follow his motions, it’sover. His repertoire covers the full spectrum ofjazz and swing, so you’ll recognize most of thematerial…except you’ve never heard it quite asDerek plays it.Derek Smith will return to the Wyeth JazzShowcase on Monday evening, May 12, with a full 90 minutes of passionatepiano. Come to enjoy his dry humor and his “evil left hand.”Piano aficionados should return on June 30 to hear Bob Seeley play boogiewoogie on the big Kawai piano, seasoned with a bit of stride and such forvariety. “Seeley is a force of nature,” insists Dick Hyman, a wondrous playerhimself, who has involved Bob (and Derek, for that matter) in his productionsfor the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.But this Bickford Theatre series is not all piano. On Monday, June 9, DanLevinson will convene an international reed summit here, with Bob Wilber’sprotégé Nik Payton and British alto star Alex Mendham, backed by a stellarrhythm section: Mark Shane, Kevin Dorn and Brian Nalepka. What a way tocomplete Jazzfest weekend! One show only, never to be repeated.The summer schedule here is packed, so you have no reason to stray duringthe warm season. The 7-piece Summit Stompers return on July 7, with aprogram mixing hot jazz classics with West Coast gems that are rarely heardhere. They’re followed on July 21 by the largest group ever to perform for thisseries: the 24 piece Silver Starlite Orchestra, with talented vocalists augmentingthe powerful instrumentals. Both bands have strong followings, as wellthey should.JerseyEventsJazzBucky P. andJerry B. togetheragain on May 7.Australia’s world class Bixian band, the Wolverines, visits on August 4,followed the next day by France’s award-winning Paris Washboard, both enroute to the Orange County Classic Jazz Festival in CA. The Palomar Quartetcloses the season on August 18, with more Benny Goodman fare. All arepopular, so order tickets early.All that charmand talented, too,Derek Smith appearsat Wyeth JazzShowcase on May 12.Jazz For ShoreMancini Hall, Ocean County Library,Toms River, NJ 08753Tickets/Information: 732-255-0500Bucky Pizzarelli has drawn huge crowds atprevious visits to MidWeek Jazz, but sincethe series has moved to temporary quarters(during renovations at Ocean County College’sFine Arts Center), some thought had to be givento sizing the program to the room. For this visiton Wednesday, May 7, Bucky is backed only bybassist Jerry Bruno. Downsizing is appropriatefor the more intimate Mancini Hall at thedowntown Toms River Library. On the otherhand, seating will be more up close andpersonal. The room has lively acoustics, andguitar fans will appreciate Bucky’s moreintensive playing time.Bucky’s career in jazz goes back to the banjoperiod (see the photo on our January cover!),encompassing the entire swing era, right up totoday. His fans span the generations, because hisplaying is still dynamic in spite of his years. Hekeeps a full schedule of international travel forconcerts, festivals and studio sessions. Given thelimited capacity of the room, we urge you to getyour ticket order in early.“Boogie Bob” Seeley returns on Wednesday,June 25, playing for the first time in a piano-inthe-roundarrangement that puts everyonewithin four rows of the instrument. His “industrial strength” concerts featuregenerous doses of boogie woogie, with some stride, blues and possibly a bit ofragtime for change of pace. Bob is revered in Europe, where hot jazz piano ispopular with young people, and the practitioners are treated like rock stars.When Bob last played for this series, the audience wouldn’t let him stop.Tickets are still $13 in advance and $15 at the door and should be ordered fromthe OCC Box Office (by phone, above) and not from the Library. There isgenerous free parking on surrounding streets, plus a garage and deck behindthe building. The site is within a mile of Garden State Parkway exit 81, with fullprinted directions available from the Box Office too.MidWeek Jazz has applied for additional dates during the summer, and inviteddrummer Kevin Dorn to bring his Traditional Jazz Collective back on July 30.Their first visit last year drew thunderous ovations, and they had to play twoencores! Trumpet star Dan Tobias (often heard with the Midiri Brothers as wellas his own combos) is assembling a group to play on August 20. Both thesedates are awaiting approval by the Library; verify when ordering tickets. JJPhotos by Bruce Gast.NOTE temporary venue change!’Round Jersey concerts are producedby Bruce M. Gast in conjunction with the New Jersey Jazz Society.48__________________________________ May 2008
JerseyEventsJazzPREZ SEZ continued from page 2the Thursday and Friday afternoon before Jazzfest. See their ad onpage 23 for more details. They’ll be having special eventsthroughout the conference. On Friday evening our festival will beginwith the NJ IAJE award winning high school jazz band championsfrom their competition held this spring. This is a free concert thatwill give you reason to believe we’ve got a whole new generation ofgreat jazz musicians on the horizon.■ Guided Tour of Benny Goodman Exhibit at Carnegie Hall. TheNJJS has arranged for a guided tour of the Carnegie Hall’s RoseMuseum featuring an exhibit celebrating the 70th Anniversary ofthe legendary 1938 performance by Benny Goodman (see story,page 10). The tour will be conducted by Gino Francesconi, Directorof Archives and the Rose Museum, Carnegie Hall, and is scheduledfor 3 PM on Saturday, May 10. This is a free event for NJJSmembers. If you’d like to join us, please call me at 732-356-3626 orsend me an E-mail at pres@njjs.org. Thanks to member Sid Josephsfor bringing this exciting exhibit to my attention.Please come out to some and/or all of these events. I’ve been busypartnering (so what else is new) trying to promote the NJ JazzSociety in all sorts of ways. Please show them what an active groupof jazz lovers we really are by attending these events. Make sure towear your NJJS shirts (check out our store on the website) or tellthem NJJS sent you!JAZZ TRIVIA ANSWERSquestions on page 41.“In the Mood.”2. “Marie.”3. (a) ”Flamingo;” (b) Herb Jeffries4. Comanche War Dance, Iroquois andSeminoleCape May Traditional Jazz SocietyMEMBERS WANTEDSend name & address for newsletter, gig information, etc.pinewood6@comcast.net609-827-7909JJ5. The original title was copyrighted toanother author. Although Pearl Buckhad written a best selling book titled“The Good Earth” in 1931, it isbelieved that, in this case, the titlereferred to the slang term then usedby musicians for marijuana.The Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University–Newark is the largest and most comprehensive library and archiveof jazz and jazz-related materials in the world! — a valuableresource for jazz researchers, students, musicians and fans.The archives are open to the public from 9 AM – 5 PM Mondaythrough Friday, but please call and make an appointment.Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers, The State University of NJJohn Cotton Dana Library, 185 University Avenue,Newark, NJ 07102Web site: newarkwww.rutgers.edu/IJS 973-353-5595calendar:JAZZ RESEARCH ROUND TABLEA series of lectures and discussions. Names in italics are thepresenters.■ April 16, 2008 David Tenenholtz — Jazz in Swedish:The Career and Legacy of Jan Johansson■ May 7, 2008 Marty Grosz: The Short and Happy Life of theBanjo and Acoustic Guitar in JazzPrograms are free and open to the public and take place on Wednesdayevenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Dana Room, 4th floor, John CottonDana Library, Rutgers University, 185 University Ave., Newark, NJ.Refreshments are served. Information: 973-353-5595.JAZZ FROM THE ARCHIVESBroadcast hosted by IJS Director, 2007 NEA Jazz Master DanMorgenstern, every Sunday at 11:00 PM on WBGO Radio (88.3 FM).Information: www.wbgo.org.■ April 20 — Oscar Peterson Tribute: Host Tad Hershorn covers thecareer of the piano great who died on December 23, 2007.■ April 27 — Variety Is The Spice Of Jazz: Host Dan Morgensterncontinues his explorations of multiple versions of the same tunes; thistime, “Someday Sweetheart” and “Tea for Two.”■ May 4 — The Prestige-ious Tiny Grimes, Part 4A: Host John Clementsamples the albums guitarist Grimes made for the Prestige label.■ May 11 — The Prestige-ious Tiny Grimes, Part 4B: Host John Clementplays more of the recordings guitarist Grimes made for the Prestigelabel.■ May 18 — Playing the Changes: Host Ed Berger interviews authorDavid G. Berger about his collaboration with bassist/photographer MiltHinton.■ May 25 — Springville: Bill Kirchner examines the music oftrumpeter/composer/arranger Johnny Carisi, composer of “Israel” and“Springville” who has arranged for Glenn Miller, Ray McKinley, CharlieBarnet and Claude Thornhill.■ June 1 — Forgotten pioneer: Arranger-composer-guitarist GeneGifford, born May 31, 1908, set the style for the Casa Loma Orchestra, ahuge influence on the Swing Era to come. Dan Morgenstern hosts thiscentennial show.May 2008__________________________________ 49
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Like John Coltrane, James L. Dean got some of his first experience

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